


Playing Nice

by disdainfreely



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Crosshair can't play nice with the other children, Except for Tech, Gen, No one can be mean to Tech, Platonic Cuddling, Set after S7 Ep 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:14:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23047594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disdainfreely/pseuds/disdainfreely
Summary: Crosshair isn't great at interacting with people, but Tech can always get through to him.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 113





	Playing Nice

“Hey,” Tech says softly, coming over to sit down beside his vod. “Crosshair.” 

Crosshair moves over to make room for Tech on his bunk without saying a word. Tech didn’t expect anything different. He plops himself down and sprawls out against Crosshair’s side.

“It’s good to be out of the armor for a night, huh?” Tech says. He doesn’t really expect a response, so he’s not hurt when he doesn’t get one. One bright eye turns to look at Tech for a moment before it returns to staring at the datapad Crosshair is pretending is far more interesting than his vod. 

Tech is willing to allow the silence for a long moment. He knows that Crosshair appreciates it, and with Wrecker being occupied sparring Hunter, their little room is actually quiet. He leans over to rest his chin on Crosshair’s shoulder, looking over it at the datapad. Crosshair shrugs him off and Tech lets him. His quieter brother will ask for attention when he wants it, and Tech is happy to spend quiet time snuggled up against him. 

Eventually, Crosshair sets the datapad down and rolls over to look at Tech properly. He doesn’t even object to Tech wrapping his arms around him to hold him close.

“You doing okay, vod?” Tech asks. He lets Crosshair squirm his way in closer, face tucking in against Tech’s neck.

“Sick of Regs,” Crosshair mutters, and Tech hums.

“The Captain isn’t so bad, and it sounds like we’re about to be shipped off with him again to go find Echo, so at least we won’t have to deal with anyone new.” He drops a kiss to Crosshair’s forehead. “And he’s not bad for a Reg, right?” 

Crosshair grumbles into his collarbone. Tech chuckles.

“You’ve got to play nice, vod. Regs give us the orders.”

“Yeah, well. They shouldn’t.” 

Tech can hear the underlying bitterness and makes a vague soothing sound, petting the back of Crosshair’s neck. 

“Hey. Captain Rex isn’t like that. He’ll take care of us.”

Crosshair grumbles again, something incomprehensible that Tech can only recognize as disgruntlement. He debates asking Crosshair to repeat himself so he can record it and play it back either louder or slower or both, but decides that’ll probably just backfire. He kisses Crosshair’s hair.

“Don’t like relying on some Reg to give us orders like this. I’d rather go back to causing havoc on our own.” There. Tech knew if he was patient, Crosshair would eventually talk.

“I know. I like when it’s just us too.” And he definitely does like just being with his squadmates. They all have their own oddities beyond their physical mutations, and they’re all now accustomed to each other and only each other in a way that makes interacting with other vode hard sometimes. “We’ll go back to that soon, though. I’m sure Hunter wants to get out of here too.” Tech gives Crosshair a squeeze. “And we’re going to be helping to rescue a vod.”

“A Reg,” Crosshair corrects him bitterly.

“A vod,” Tech replies. “A vod whose unit has been missing him.” He lets Crosshair grumble into his neck again. “We’ll get him back and then we’ll get to go back to missions by ourselves.”

“Fine.” Crosshair seems resigned, but he accepts the careful back rub from Tech. “As long as we get to leave after this.”

“I’m sure Hunter will find us something after this,” Tech assures him. “Until then, we’ll have to work together with Captain Rex and his men. Do you think you can manage?”

Crosshair glares a little. “No.”

“I’m sure that’s not entirely true.”

“It is.”

Tech chuckles. “Alright. Maybe it is. We’d better finish up quickly then.” He hugs Crosshair close and lets his vod doze off against him, still frowning a little. Once his breathing evens out into quiet sleep, Tech can start recording. This is hardly the first time he’s recorded the soft sounds of his vode sleeping, just to know that he has it, that he’s never going to be alone and unable to hear them. 

“Goodnight, Crosshair,” he whispers. Crosshair is asleep and, as expected, doesn’t answer. Tech yawns. He’d better fall asleep before Wrecker and Hunter get back and Wrecker starts snoring.

By the time the others get back, Tech is in fact long asleep, he and Crosshair curled up together like puppies in a basket. He barely wakes up when Hunter pulls a blanket over them and gently removes his bracer that holds the recording equipment.

“’S just us. You and Crosshair okay?” A gentle pat on the shoulder as Hunter passes him.

“Hm? Yeah. Just talking Crosshair into playing nice.” Tech blinks up at his Sergeant. 

“Ah, he won’t. That’s okay, though. I’ll find him something to shoot soon.” Hunter heads over to his own bunk. “Go back to sleep, vod.”

“Will do. Good night.” Tech tucks himself back down and is out cold in an instant, lulled by Crosshair’s soft breathing.


End file.
